Crashed Indonesian plane had $470,000 in aid for poor families aboard

The Indonesian ATR42-300 twin turboprop plane that crashed in Papua on Sunday was carrying a large amount of cash to be distributed among poor families. With the crash site already spotted, there is no information about any survivors among 54 people onboard.

Trigana Air flight TGN 267 was carrying some 6.5 billion Indonesian rupees (approx. $470,000) of social relief assigned for poor families in the Papua eastern province of Indonesia.

The crashed plane has been located in a remote mountainous region, some 12 kilometers from Oksibil, an obscure settlement in the mountains south of Jayapura, not far from the border with Papua New Guinea.

Indonesia's easternmost Papua province is one of the most secluded regions on Earth, where even journey on foot is difficult or even impossible.

“The latest information is that the Trigana aircraft that lost contact has been found at Camp 3, Ok Bape district in the Bintang Mountains regency,” Air Transportation Director General Suprasetyo told reporters. “Residents provided information that the aircraft crashed into Tangok mountain.”

Rescue teams are now trying to reach the wreckage by air and on foot, said Henry Bambang Soelistyo, the chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency.

The ATR 42-300 turboprop operated by Indonesia’s Trigana Air took off Sunday from Jayapura, but crashed in bad weather conditions during a flight that was due to last mere 42 minutes. The plane lost contact with air traffic control just before 3 p.m. local time (0600 GMT), just 10 minutes before reaching its destination and right after demanding permission to land.